


Day 28: Explosion

by MadhouseVagabond



Series: 30 Day Whump Challenge 2018 [28]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: 30 Day Whump Challenge, Achievement City, Angst, Character Death, Creeper, Explosion, Gen, M/M, Mad King, Pain, Whump, injuries, minecraft au, self blame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-07-06 18:56:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15892059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadhouseVagabond/pseuds/MadhouseVagabond
Summary: It’s a peaceful day in Achievement City, the Gents and the Lads having a relaxing day in the woods. That is, until their world is shattered.





	Day 28: Explosion

The Gents were chuckling at the antics of the Lads as they argued and wrestled, chasing each other around the center of the clearing they'd stopped at for a brief rest. Ryan smiled as he watched Michael chase Gavin in a circle, never quite catching him, Jeremy rolling on the ground laughing that sweet bubbling laughter that always made him smile, and Ray smiling as he leaned against a nearby tree. Life was good in Achievement City, and Ryan couldn't imagine it getting any better than this, being surrounded by friends who'd become family. The Lads dashed into the forest and Ryan was distracted by something Jack was saying. The Gents talked for a moment when a piercing scream filled the air, causing them to snap their heads towards the sound, the one that came from the Lads direction. Ryan leapt to his feet and ran headlong towards them, hoping he wasn't too late to help, that he wasn't too slow to save them from whatever danger they faced. He was just rounding a tree when Gavin crashed into him, tears in the lad's eyes as he stared up at Ryan in horror, clinging tightly to him.

 

"Gavin! What happened are you alright? Where are the others?" Ryan asked quickly.

 

"C-Creeper!" was all the lad managed before Geoff appeared and took the lad in his arms, Jack and Ryan running forward towards the now yells of the Lads.

 

They made it to a small clearing just in time to see Jeremy stumbling back, Ray standing over him and Michael in front of the two, staring down the hideous monster that was crawling towards them. No one knew what the creepers were, where they came from or what they wanted, they just showed up at unexpected times, dealing deadly explosions to anything and anyone unlucky enough to get in their way. Ryan felt his blood run cold as Michael swiped his stone sword at the creeper, dealing a slash that left a bleeding open wound on the creature's torso. The creeper shrieked and batted Michael away with one of its four legs that was a cross between an octopus tentacle and a spider leg, the lad sailing across the clearing and colliding with a tree. Ray swallowed hard and threw a rose at the creeper, the creature staring at him for a moment.

 

"What? Best I got don't fuck with me!" Ray shrugged.

 

"Ryan! Help!" Jeremy cried as he stumbled back and saw the two Gents.

 

Ryan snapped out of his stupor and dashed down the hill, determined to save his two friends. As he drew near the creeper started to pulsate with a white light, a loud hissing sound filling the air around them. Jeremy went pale and Ray raised his arms over his face.

 

"No!" Ryan screamed as the creature exploded, the explosion consuming the two Lads and throwing him back against a tree hard.

 

His world was swimming from the impact, the breath knocked out of him and his hearing muffled by the explosion. Dirt and dust fell from the sky as the small cloud of smoke cleared, Ryan coughing as he stumbled forward, desperate to find his friends. He tripped and fell with a cry, looking back to see what he'd tripped over and screamed in horror when he saw Jeremy lying there, smoke rising from his body, his clothes torn and singed from the explosion.

 

"Jeremy! Jeremy please, answer me!" Ryan screamed, his voice sounding far and muffled as his ears hadn't adjusted yet. Jeremy's chest was rising and falling very slowly.

 

"Jack! Help! Jeremy hurt bad he needs medical attention!" Ryan yelled into the air.

 

He hated to leave Jeremy but he had to find Ray. After gently and tenderly giving Jeremy a pat on the shoulder he crawled a few more feet forward to find the crater left from the creeper's explosion. It was there, not very deep in the ground, and at the bottom, lay Ray. Ryan felt his heart stop as he slowly made his way down towards the body, gently turning the lad over and nearly sobbing. Ray's body was charred his glasses shattered and his suit which he was always so proud of was in tatters. He wasn't breathing and Ryan feared the worst as he felt for a pulse, only to find none. Tears filled his eyes as he stooped and gently scooped up the lad in his arms and carried him back. Jack had shaken Michael awake and had recruited him to help him craft a makeshift stretcher for Jeremy. When the gent looked up and saw Ryan his eyes widened and his heart dropped, tears filling his eyes at what he saw in Ryan's arms. Ryan trudged forward slowly, fighting back the tears but losing as the pain in his heart fought harder. Jack let Ryan pass before he and Michael gently picked up Jeremy and placed him in the stretcher, following the gent. The small group made their way back to Geoff, who upon seeing Jack and Michael carrying Jeremy cried out and rushed to them, Gavin at his heels as they looked down at Jeremy.

 

"Hold in there lil buddy! We'll get you help, you'll be better in no time!" Geoff sobbed. That's when he felt a tug at his sleeve and looked down at Gavin.

 

The lad looked ashen as he raised a shaky hand to point. Geoff followed the hand and felt his entire world collapse at the sight of Ryan carrying Ray's body. He sobbed and walked forward, reaching Ryan but not able to bring himself to make contact with Ray, as if doing so would just make it more real, make the lad disappear forever. Gavin was wailing, Geoff feeling his own tears flowing down his cheeks as he took the lad in a hug and followed the procession. The group made it back to Achievement City and got Jeremy into the infirmary, Jack going to work instantly on potions and magic to help save Jeremy, Ryan walking to the other infirmary bed and gently laying Ray on it, staring down at the lad's body, trembling with tears running down his cheeks. Everything had been just great, so perfect just ten minutes ago, and then all hell broke loose. Ray was dead, gone forever, leaving an empty place in Ryan's heart at the loss, and Jeremy was hurt badly. Ryan slowly backed away from Ray and turned to look down at Jeremy's body. The lad was in rough shape, bleeding from where he'd been cut from rocks or dirt from the explosion.

 

"Save him Jack. Please for the love of God save him! We can't lose anyone else today," he begged the bearded gent who nodded and went to work applying the magic to Jeremy's body, healing the wounds he could heal, Michael assisting as best he could, doing his best not to look at Ray.

 

Ryan nodded and stumbled out of the hut, falling to his knees outside and slamming his fist into the ground over and over, squeezing his eyes shut as tears streamed down his face and sobs wracked his shoulders. He felt a hand on his back and glanced up, Geoff there with the saddest look on his face Ryan had ever seen. Ryan's lip trembled as geoff pulled him into a tight hug, rocking the two back and forth as Ryan sobbed and cried.

 

"It's my fault. It's all my fault!" Ryan sobbed into Geoff's shirt.

 

"No, it isn't Ryan. This was no one's fault, it was a terrible, horrible accident," Geoff said gently. Ryan shook his head.

 

"I should've been faster. I could've saved them. It should be me lying in there on that bed, not Ray. Not Jeremy," he choked out.

 

"Don't say that! I've already lost one of my boys today, don't say that it should've been you or anyone else!" Geoff cried. The two sat there for a moment before Ryan stood and walked back in, Geoff right behind him.

 

At some point Gavin had gone in and was crying in the corner, looking between Ray and Jeremy. He glanced up as the Gents entered and ran to Geoff, hugging him tightly. Ryan stood there numbly and watched Jeremy's chest rise and fall slowly.

 

"Is he...will he..." he couldn't finish the question and closed his eyes, turning his head to the side and biting his lower lip.

 

"He took a lot of damage from the blast, but I think he'll be okay with enough treatment. It's too early to tell. Magic has done all it can, now it's up to medicine and Jeremy," Jack said softly as he stroked Jeremy's hair ever so gently, tears running down his cheeks.

 

"What about Ray?" Gavin asked timidly.

 

"Ray's gone. He took the full force of the explosion. Maybe he was shielding Jeremy from the blast as best he could, who knows," Ryan said quietly and clenched his hands into fists at his sides.

 

"We'll give him a proper burial," Geoff said, Michael sniffling and nodding, glancing at the bed where his friend's body lay.

 

The funeral was later, after everyone had had their chances to say goodbye and pay their respects. Ryan slowly lowered Ray's body into the grave and then began to fill it, feeling...nothing. He felt numb, but other than that, nothing. No emotion, just the shovel in his hand and the dirt slowly covering up his dead friend. He felt detached, like he was watching everything happen but wasn't in control, or that he was watching from above them slightly. Everything felt like a fog, or a dream that he would soon wake up from, nothing felt real. He stayed there at the grave all night, staring at the capstone and still he felt nothing.

 

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to save you Ray. I'm sorry it was my fault, I should've been faster, better. And because of my shortcomings you paid the ultimate price. I'm so sorry Ray," he cried.

 

He went to the med hut and watched as jack worked on healing Jeremy, praying that the lad would wake up and make a full recovery, not able to bear the thought of losing another friend. Slowly he reached out and took Jeremy's limp hand in his own and stroked his thumb over the side and back of the lad's hand.

 

"Please wake up. Please come back to us Jer," he said quietly and hung his head, closing his eyes.

 

A moment later his head snapped up and his eyes widened, filling with tears as he stared at Jeremy. He wasn't sure if he'd imagined it so he gave it a moment before a sob escaped him and a small, pained smile crossed his face. Jack raised an eyebrow and Ryan looked up at the gent in relief.

 

"He just squeezed my hand. He's going to be okay!" he exclaimed before pressing a soft kiss to Jeremy's hand.

 

"Pull through buddy, pull through. I'll be right here waiting for you when you're better. I'll be here," Ryan cried, feeling tears run down his cheeks as he squeezed Jeremy's hand, and smiled as he felt a squeeze in return.


End file.
